1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of three-dimensional (3-D) displays. More particularly, the present invention concerns 3-D Holographic Liquid Crystal Displays (HLCD) that do not require the viewer to wear goggles or glasses. The present invention thus relates to 3-D HLCD systems of the type that can be termed autostereoscopic. The present invention is further directed to a method of making a right-left eye view multiplexed hologram for use in the 3-D HLCD display.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
High performance display systems are key components in virtually all system interfaces for scientific and engineering instrumentation. For example, three-dimensional imaging provides a great advantage in medical imaging, such as neuroscience research and other research that relies on the visualization of three-dimensional structures.
Scientific visualization, simulation, and instrument design are typically carried out using scientific workstations, powerful image-processing and computer-graphics software, and special hardware designed to render pseudo three-dimensional pictures on two-dimensional displays. Unfortunately, these systems lack significant aspects of image content because they rely on the viewer's interpretation of two-dimensional visual depth cues to produce a three-dimensional image. Adding a third dimension to the visual display greatly enhances the viewer's ability to perceive and interpret precise spatial relations of imagery.
Several three-dimensional display techniques have been developed but their application is limited by many factors. These factors include the need for external devices such as scanners and projectors, the inability to display flicker-free images in real time, limited viewing range reduced resolution, reliance on special image data formatting and scanning, and increased cost. Therefore, a need exists for a cost-effective, three-dimensional display unit that readily interfaces with a conventional two-dimensional display format, permits real-time interactivity with wide, field-of-view “look around” capability, and supports a three-dimensional autostereoscopic visualization.